Cabinet yesterday banned Russian oil imports to Eastern refineries. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau acknowledged trade was marginal but said the ban “sends a powerful message.”

The Public Health Agency yesterday said it is now almost fully stocked with pandemic medical supplies two years after the outbreak of Covid. The Agency to date has not explained why it ignored its own planners in failing to maintain a four months’ supply of masks, medical gowns and other goods: “It’s unacceptable to get that kind of dissembling to direct questions.”

A majority of English-speaking Canadians cannot carry on a conversation in French despite 53 years of official bilingualism, says in-house federal research. Cabinet as early as today will reintroduce a bill mandating use of French in the federally regulated private sector: “I am just not interested.”